Industrial Devil Cheese

By Gazza
COUNTRY CHEESES'
poet in residence

Publicity

Over the many years that we have been running cheese shops in Devon many lovely people have said many lovely things about us and what we do. Below we have posted just a few examples for you to have a look at. We are very proud to have been so well received in the past and will continue to do our best to satisfy all our customers.

A Mary Portas rating of 9/10 aint half bad.

(Although We think Mary is very wrong about the 'cheese wedding cakes' they are fab!)

Mary Portas said some pretty good things about us in the Telegraph, it has taken me a while to include this in our web pages but, the link will take you there if you have a mo'.

We strive to do justice to both the fabulous cheese and our great customers, we thoroughly enjoy what we do, and meet smashing people who take pleasure from the same thing, 'real cheese' Sometimes I feel it is not a proper job - how can it be when it is so enjoyable. When people used to talk of passion for something I often did not quite 'get it' However now I do - and artisan cheese is it!

The GuardianCountry Cheeses, Tavistock, Topsham

If two-Michelin star chef Michael Caines gives Country Cheeses the thumbs-up, then they must be doing something right in the world of fermented curd. Caines is head chef at Devon's Gidleigh Park and is a passionate champion of West Country food producers, as are Elise and Gary Jungheim, who started Country Cheeses in 1991 with a stall at Tavistock Market and six local cheeses for sale. That range has since expanded to over 100 different types with most coming from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. It includes a number of cheeses tailor-made for them, including a lovely Exmoor Blue-type number called Blue Hills, plus the big hitters from the south-west such as Keens, Sharpham and Vulscombe.

John Mitchell

Little Stinky adds bite to a foodie revolution

- Nick Wyke tastes the best of the West's rich harvest

Topsham's other foodie gem is Country Cheeses, stockist's of more than 100 different varieties of British cheeses mostly from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. Little Stinky by Sue Proudfoot in Bude; Blue Hills, an Exmoor Blue cheese; and Celeste by Debbie Mumford at Sharpham, are all tailor-made for the shop. The national cheese retailer of the year in 2003, Country Cheeses also makes cheesecakes for special occasions.

As crisp, astringent appetisers go, it's hard to think of any better than a yomp across the weathered, heathered hills of Dartmoor. These days, you won't need a picnic, because the grand, grey-stone town of Tavistock offers ample culinary rewards. The Campaign to Protect Rural England reckons this is the best market town in the country, and its fine Victorian architecture is now attracting a discerning, even arty crowd. They like to shop at the speciality stalls of its Pannier Market, tucked behind the town hall, with a 900-year history of showcasing honest-to-goodness produce from the rolling West Country pastures all around. After that, they'll check out the award-winning farmers' market (01822 820360, ww.tavistockfarmersmarket.com), which fills elegant Bedford Square on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.

The town's culinary kudos is growing, founded on those core values of local provenance and absolute freshness. A good example is Country Cheeses, on Market Road, where Gary and Elise Jungheim stock about 100 British varieties, some as small as skimming pebbles, others as big as bar stools.

Point to any chunk and you'll be offered a sliver to try and a potted history. "If I'm not sure the person really loves a cheese," says Elise. "I make them try another. Everyone in the queue tastes, so hopefully waiting's part of the fun." Slow food doesn't get much slower than that.

Susan d'Arcy 'The Sunday Times' .

"Anyone who thinks cheese is best in France should visit Country Cheeses in Tavistock, Devon. All the produce is British. Most is from the West Country - and with 100 varieties you're better taking the advice of Gary or Elise, whose expertise and enthusiasm are unrivalled."

Zac Goldsmith 'The Guardian'

"Comparing Elise and Gary's approach to handling cheese to that of, say Waitrose, a supermarket chain that works hard to provide specialty British cheese in its stores, is like measuring a couture dress against an of the peg one". "When Country Cheeses pinned the British colours to its mast and refused to buy from overseas, it was dependent on an insignificant little industry with some modest products. Now, as a cheesemonger, it can compete on equal terms with any continental fromager. Gary and Elise buy the best, handle it with care and share their pleasure unstintingly with their customers".

West Country Cheesemakers by Michael Raffael Media Prize Winner at the British Cheese Awards